


if the world was ending

by katierosefun



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: 5+1 Things, Ahsoka Tano Lives, Ahsoka Tano Needs a Hug, Anakin Skywalker Has Issues, Anakin Skywalker Needs a Hug, Canon Compliant, Deleted Scenes, Gen, Human Disaster Anakin Skywalker, Hurt Obi-Wan Kenobi, Missing Scene, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, Obi-Wan Kenobi is a Mess, Protective Ahsoka Tano
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-04-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:42:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23482612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katierosefun/pseuds/katierosefun
Summary: …or five times Ahsoka Tano caught a glimpse of just how much Obi-Wan Kenobi had an effect on Anakin Skywalker, and the one time she realized how much Anakin Skywalker meant to Obi-Wan Kenobi. (Basically, Anakin has a small heart attack any time his master is even slightly injured. And Ahsoka Tano considers how her master cares so incredibly deeply, and she forgets that Obi-Wan has his own way of caring.)
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano
Comments: 16
Kudos: 633





	if the world was ending

**Author's Note:**

> I'm just sad about these three. Each part's titles are the episodes they were based off.

**1\. landing at point rain**

Ahsoka saw Obi-Wan sinking down to his feet as the rest of the forces ran ahead of her. It had been a quick movement—first, she had seen the flicker of his light saber turn off, and then she saw him, his face dirtied and scratched, but he was still awake, still breathing. She let out her own sigh of relief as she ran forward just in time for Obi-Wan to settle against the crates.

“Master Kenobi,” Ahsoka said, kneeling down at Obi-Wan’s side. “Are you alright?”

“Quite,” Obi-Wan replied, smiling, but Ahsoka could feel the pain roiling off of him in waves. When Ahsoka couldn’t find any visible wounds, she realized with a sinking heart that the damage could have only been internal.

“Well,” Ahsoka heard Anakin say behind her, his voice light, “what happened to you?”

Obi-Wan lifted his eyes above Ahsoka’s head. “I might ask you the same question,” he replied. “Ran into some trouble, I assume?”

“Just some,” Anakin replied. “Day’s not over yet.”

“No,” Obi-Wan said, and if Ahsoka hadn’t known better, she would have mistaken his tone as one of disappointment. Still, before Ahsoka could pick apart any more meaning, Obi-Wan started to push himself up. Ahsoka opened her mouth, already about to suggest that perhaps moving wouldn’t be the _best_ idea, but too late—Anakin suddenly materialized at Obi-Wan’s other side, just barely catching Obi-Wan in time before his knees buckled.

“Stay down,” Anakin said, lowering Obi-Wan back to the ground. “You’re injured. Where?”

“Not sure,” Obi-Wan replied tightly, and Ahsoka just noticed the barest beads of sweat at Obi-Wan’s brow. She wasn’t sure how long he must have been fighting for, how long he must have been holding down this point before Anakin and she finally got here. “Possibly the ribs.” He suddenly inhaled sharply, his face paling. “Correction: definitely the ribs.”

Anakin muttered something under his breath, which earned him a look of disproval from Obi-Wan. “Don’t look at me like that,” Anakin said, scowling. “Not right now.”

“I’ll go get a medic,” Ahsoka said, standing up, but Obi-Wan shook his head.

“Not yet,” Obi-Wan said. “We need to go over the plans first.”

“ _Obi-Wan_ ,” Anakin said, exasperated, but Obi-Wan shook his head again.

“There is still a battle to be won,” Obi-Wan said firmly. “I’ll be fine.”

Anakin clenched his jaw, huffed out a sigh. Then, standing up, he said, “ _Fine_. But _right after_ , you’re going to—”

“See a medic, yes,” Obi-Wan said wearily. “Gather the rest of the men, Anakin.”

So Ahsoka watched as Anakin grudgingly stood up and headed towards Rex. When she looked back down at Obi-Wan, she caught a strange look on his face—a quick one, one that seemed a cross between fond exasperation and annoyance, but when Obi-Wan caught Ahsoka looking, his expression smoothed into its usual neutral one (well, as neutral as it could be with possibly broken ribs).

“Always overreacts, that one,” was Obi-Wan’s only comment.

**2\. ghosts of mortis**

After checking on the ship, Ahsoka headed out of the hanger bay, nodding to a few troopers on the way. She eventually made it to the bridge, only to find Rex and a few other troopers. “Still awake, Commander?” Rex asked, taking notice of her.

Ahsoka gave Rex a wry smile. “You know me,” she said. “I’m wired.” She glanced around the bridge. “Have you seen Anakin?”

There was a brief silence, and then, after some exchanged looks, Rex said, “He’s in the med bay with General Kenobi.”

Ahsoka frowned. “Med bay? Did something—”

“Didn’t appear too serious,” Rex said quickly. “You know how the general is.”

 _Which one?_ Ahsoka thought, but she nodded in thanks before heading towards the med bay. Her mind raced with all of the possibilities for a trip to the med bay: Anakin and Obi-Wan hadn’t _seemed_ hurt when they got back. Ahsoka quickened her step, and not before long, she was hovering by the med bay door, just barely out of sight, because she could hear Anakin and Obi-Wan’s rising voices. 

She found Obi-Wan leaning against a cot, his arms folded over his chest as Anakin searched the cabinets. “I’m _fine_ ,” Obi-Wan was saying. “This really isn’t anything to fuss over—”

“You say that now,” Anakin muttered, taking out a patch. He stood in front of Obi-Wan. “Come on, let’s see it.”

“Anakin—really, stop—” The protests suddenly came to a stop, and then there was silence. Ahsoka frowned and risked a glance inside the med bay.

For a second, she couldn’t see Obi-Wan, mostly because Anakin’s back was in the way. But she caught a glimpse of bare skin—no, not just bare skin. Red, feathered lesions curled up and down that bare tract of skin, and then Anakin shifted just slightly, and Ahsoka saw more burns, saw more of the twisted patterns.

Ahsoka had seen lightning injuries before. She had her fair share of scars, had seen her master’s on an occasion or two. But this was different. Ahsoka’s own burns had never looked so angry, so cutting. A chill ran through Ahsoka’s spine.

“This isn’t normal,” Anakin said quietly. “Master—”

“They’ll fade,” Obi-Wan said, and he started to reach for the corner of his tunic, try to cover himself, but Anakin’s hand shot out, grabbed Obi-Wan by the wrist. “Anakin.”

“What happened?” Anakin asked, and even though he was turned away, Ahsoka could imagine the shock on her master’s face: the wide eyes, the hurt and the confusion. “How did this—”

 _The Son_. That could have only been the possible explanation for the burns. Ahsoka’s heart clenched. She rested her head against the wall, remembering how she had swept in to pick up Obi-Wan. How he had been climbing up the rock wall. Ahsoka had noticed his slight wince as he boarded the speeder, but she had chalked it up to just the pain of trying to free-climb rock.

She hadn’t asked Obi-Wan what had happened between Anakin and the Son and him. She hadn’t wanted to ask, and when they found Anakin with the Father, completely normal (if not a little confused), she had been more than eager to keep that confusion in the past. But now—

“A run-in with our nasty little friend,” Obi-Wan said at last. “I should have been more careful.”

“You mean _him_?” Anakin asked. “When did that—”

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan said tiredly. “Please. You…don’t want to know.”

“What if I do?” Anakin asked.

Ahsoka risked another glance inside the med bay. She could see Obi-Wan’s face now, see how he had turned down his eyes to the ground. He looked tired. They both did. “Not now,” Obi-Wan said at last. “Please, Anakin.”

Ahsoka thought her master was going to fight back for a moment—she could tell from the way his shoulders stiffened, but then Anakin dropped Obi-Wan’s wrist.

“Fine,” he said coolly. “Be that way.”

Ahsoka saw Anakin starting to turn around. She took that as her sign to leave.

**3\. escape from kavado**

“So where are we heading?” Ahsoka asked as the doors slid open behind her. She swung around from the controls to face her master. “Did she say, or do we need to convince her some more?”

“Kavado system,” was Anakin’s only response. A few beats passed before Anakin added flatly, “And she’s dead.”

Ahsoka blinked. She looked past Anakin, towards the doors, as though the queen might come barreling in any moment. She turned back to Anakin. “Oh,” Ahsoka could only say. She paused. “Was it…”

“Dooku,” Anakin replied. He sounded almost sorry, and Ahsoka felt a little sorry then too, because why anyone would ever decide to make a deal with the Sith lord was beyond Ahsoka’s own understanding.

“Kavado system it is,” Ahsoka said, turning back around to the controls. As she readied the ship to make the jump, she turned back around to Anakin. She could still feel something else roiling under the surface: not the anger that had been simmering from the beginning of the mission, but something else. Worry. Loud and clear, recklessly so.

“Master?” She cast Anakin a sidelong look. “We’ll get there in time.”

“Yeah,” Anakin muttered. “I know.” But the worry persisted, still loud, still clear, still reckless.

“We’ll get everyone out,” Ahsoka said. “Everyone. Rex, Master Kenobi.”

 _Ah_. Ahsoka had said it—she saw the little jump in Anakin’s knee, the brief flicker in his eyes of panic that Ahsoka had found him out. Ahsoka would have rolled her eyes if she could—because of course, she would have had found him out sooner than later.

“You feel it too,” Anakin said at last.

“Pain?” Ahsoka turned back around to the controls. “Of course. Loss, sorrow.” She cast another sidelong glance at Anakin. “But they’ll be okay.” She gave him a small smile. “Right?”

And even though Anakin remained worried, Ahsoka was glad that he smiled back. “Right,” he said. He turned back around. “Let’s get them.”

**4\. deception**

Ahsoka couldn’t find a pulse.

She stopped.

That couldn’t be right.

She searched again, reached out into the Force, probing, hoping, but nothing except nothing. Ice flooded Ahsoka’s veins as she searched Obi-Wan’s face, looking for even the faintest flicker of life: some breath, some movement under his eyelids, _anything_ —but Obi-Wan remained still as ever, his head limp in Ahsoka’s arms.

 _Oh no_.

“Master Kenobi?” Ahsoka’s voice sounded too small for her own ears. “Master? Please—” Obi-Wan’s face blurred before Ahsoka’s eyes, and she swallowed, forcing her face up the sky. _Oh no_. _Please no_. She looked back down at Obi-Wan, her hands quickly skimming from Obi-Wan’s throat to his shoulders, his back. She adjusted her grip on him, cradled him in her arms. _Please no_.

And then she heard hurried footsteps, heavy breathing, and then she saw Anakin’s boots in front of her. “How is he?”

 _Oh no_.

Ahsoka lifted her face up to her master, tried to find the words. She opened her mouth to say something, and even though her lips moved, no sound came out, and then she saw Anakin’s face fall. “No,” he said instantly, kneeling besides them.

“Obi-Wan?” Anakin was reaching for Obi-Wan’s shoulders, his hands just barely shaking. “Obi-Wan— _Obi-Wan_ —” Louder and louder, Anakin’s voice rose, and Ahsoka could only look away as her master shouted himself hoarse.

“Master—” Ahsoka started, trying to keep her voice even, but Anakin was shaking his head, _no, please no_ —

“Come _on_ ,” Anakin shouted, shaking Obi-Wan’s shoulders. “Obi-Wan, get _up_ —”

“Master—” Ahsoka started again, but Anakin was lowering his head against Obi-Wan’s shoulder, breathing too hard. Ahsoka closed her eyes, tried to force the warmth in her eyes back, back, back. Now was not the time to cry. She re-opened her eyes. “Master,” she tried again. “We need to bring him back.”

“He’s not breathing,” Anakin only responded, his voice cracking. “Why isn’t he—”

“We need to bring him back, Anakin,” Ahsoka said, and she set her hand on her master’s shoulder, felt the tremors there. _Please no_.

Anakin lifted his head then. He turned to Ahsoka, his face already too pale, his eyes empty. Ahsoka wished at that moment, more than anything, that Obi-Wan would wake, just to pull Anakin back down in his usual way—that the Force would grant them just one more miracle, but nothing of the sort happened.

**5\. revenge**

“Where is he?”

Madame Che pressed her lips together. “He’s inside,” she said, gesturing to the halls behind her. “But I advise caution, Master Skywalker. He is…” But Anakin was already rushing inside, leaving Madame Che with Ahsoka instead.

“Sorry,” Ahsoka said, although she only half meant the apology.

Madame Che only sighed. “Always rushing off,” she muttered. She looked down at Ahsoka. “I suppose you want to see Master Kenobi as well?”

Ahsoka smiled guiltily, and Madame Che shook her head. “In you go,” she said, gesturing into the halls. “Keep an eye on your master. He tends to get excited.”

“Don’t need to tell me twice,” Ahsoka replied, and with the blessing of Madame Che’s halfhearted smile, Ahsoka ducked into the halls. She found Obi-Wan already sitting up in one of the cots, already exchanging quiet words with Anakin. Well, Obi-Wan was quiet—Anakin let out a sharp “ _what_?”, followed by a series of mumbling that Ahsoka assumed weren’t in proper Jedi vernacular.

And then Obi-Wan was gesturing towards Anakin, and even though Ahsoka couldn’t hear him, she could already tell from his expression and Anakin’s reaction that he was telling Anakin to _calm down_ , but Anakin was shaking his head angrily.

“You could have been _killed_ ,” Anakin said. “Why did you go in by yourself? You could have called for backup—”

“You had more important matters to tend to,” Obi-Wan replied. “And I wasn’t completely alone.” He gave Anakin a dry smile. “Ventress—”

“Yeah,” Anakin interrupted. “How did _she_ get there?”

“She had affairs of her own that needed to be settled,” Obi-Wan replied. He sank back against the cot, his expression troubled. “And it would seem I have matters of my own to settle as well.” He turned to Anakin and, shaking his head, he said, “Please stop looking at me like that, Anakin—I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine.” And Obi-Wan didn’t—Ahsoka could make out the cuts and bruises along Obi-Wan’s face, the dark circles ringing Obi-Wan’s eyes.

“Well, I am.”

“Will you just—” Anakin stopped short, bowed his head. He puffed out a frustrated sigh.

“Just what?”

“ _Just_ ,” Anakin said, looking at Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka saw the way Obi-Wan’s face softened—how it went from one of exasperation to something else, something gentler. Sadder. “Just be careful.”

“Look who’s talking,” Obi-Wan said dryly, but Anakin didn’t smile.

“I mean it,” he said. “You need to be careful.” And Ahsoka watched as Anakin rested a hand on Obi-Wan’s shoulder, noticed the slight way Obi-Wan seemed almost to lean into the gesture. There was a moment of silence, and then Ahsoka caught just the barely perceptible nod Obi-Wan gave, and then she saw the relieved smile break across Anakin’s face, and that was when Ahsoka knew it was safe to finally make her entrance.

**+1. “you loved him”**

“Did you know?”

The look Obi-Wan gave Ahsoka was all the confirmation she needed. She fell down into the seat Obi-Wan had offered her. “All this time,” she said quietly, “I had hoped that Anakin was still—out there somewhere. Alive.” She looked up at Obi-Wan. “This wasn’t what I meant.” She swallowed as Obi-Wan sat down in front of her. “What happened?”

For a long time, Obi-Wan didn’t speak. Ahsoka was afraid that he wouldn’t, and she was about to wonder if this trip to Tatooine had been a waste of her time, but no, Obi-Wan finally looked up at Ahsoka.

“He was on Mustafar,” Obi-Wan replied. “He was—changed.”

“You two fought,” Ahsoka said quietly, and Obi-Wan didn’t have to say anything: he looked away, his eyes trained out the window. “He—Obi-Wan, his _voice_. He can’t…” Her voice cracked. “He wears that mask because he can’t _breathe_ —”

“I know.”

“Did you—”

“I left him there,” Obi-Wan said, and his words dead in the air.

“You couldn’t kill him.”

Obi-Wan closed his eyes.

Ahsoka looked down at the ground. A dozen memories whirled through her head: all this time, she had thought that it was Anakin who was the one who cared too deeply, loved too deeply and too recklessly. And she had watched as Obi-Wan feigned exasperation or caution, and yet, looking at the man sitting in front of Ahsoka right now—so tired, so sad, so heartbroken—

“You loved him,” Ahsoka said softly. “Didn’t you?”

The silence was enough.

**Author's Note:**

> I would also like to note that this whole story could be read as romantic or platonic, because honestly, I love Anakin and Obi-Wan both ways. (And I've been very deep in my feelings about them lately. :'() And also, maybe I added the song referenced in the title into my writing angst playlist, and any fictional relationship hits different when listening to that song, oops. 
> 
> As always, comments/kudos are greatly appreciated!


End file.
